Another Life
by Mrs. Damon Salvatore
Summary: Buffy and Spike have been best friends since they were nine, but things get complicated after they graduate. Is this the life Buffy wished for when the Powers that Be gave her a chance at a normal life?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Are you serious? You're really doing this? All because _she_ told you to?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Spike was practically ripping apart their friendship for that gothic ho.

"Buffy, it's not like that." He was practically stuttering! How could he just stand there and give some lame excuse as to the reason for breaking her heart?

"How can you do this? We have been BEST friends since we were nine! How can you throw that away? Oh my god, I freaking introduced you! This is ridiculous!" She practically screamed, her hand pulling on either sides of her hair, yanking to see if she was having a nightmare.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you, okay? It's not as simple as just you think." His eyes dropped to the floor, and he was shaking his head, a look of uuter shame passing across his face.

"You know what's simple? Telling that..." She took a deep breath to stop the stream of profanities from spilling out of her mouth, "Viper...that I'm your best friend and she should accept that. I have been Sooo civil that it's practically killing me. And you just give in at the drop of her panties?" She threw up her hands and growled, shoving her feet into her snow boots and snatching her coat off the arm of his couch. She turned and tilted her head to look at him, shaking it in wonder as she spoke. "I just don't understand you, Spike. I don't know why you would just shatter our friendship over some girl." She took one last look at him and walked toward the front door.

"Because I was in love with you." She froze and blinked several times, her eyes darting around the room, trying to comprehend what she just heard.

"I LOVED you. Have since high school. An' you never once looked at me like that. Every time you set me up with a girl I wished it was you. An' that was the problem. Do you know why every relationship I've ever had failed? Because every time we got into an argument or debate and you were involved, I always took your side. I always chose you, whether you were right or wrong." She heard him sigh. She wanted to turn around but she couldn't move. She was frozen. She blinked away tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"An' don't tell me...don't ask me why I never told you. It was obvious. I...was obvious. An' if you truly never saw it, then you were either blind...or you didn't care enough to notice. I didn't drop you because she told me to...not that she didn't want me to. I did it because I just can't do it anymore. I can't keep thinkin' about you when I'm with another girl. I'm tryin' to be happy."

She suddenly felt a wave of anger surge through her. "Well...goood luck with that. After everything we've been through...If you want to throw away the last ten years because you're too selfish to put aside your feelings..." She paused, contemplating whether she should voice her next thoughts, eventually deeming them worthy. "Then I don't need someone like you as a friend...or even in my life at all." Her voice was cold as she pulled open his front door, thinking this may very well be the last time she would ever be in his house.

The tears broke forward as she slid into her Jeep, her hands gripping the steering wheel, she forced herself to start the car and at least drive a block so she could cry in private, not wanting to give him anything to pity her about. She pulled out of the driveway and slammed on the gas, only slowing down as she exited his street. Her tears blurring her vision, she didn't see the stop sign until it was in front of her, and she slammed on her breaks too late as two neon colored Hondas raced toward her from the opposite street and the last thing she remembered was a little girls' scream as a neon pink car slammed into her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_You can't deny it...there's something between us._

_Loathing. Disgust._

_I've changed, Buffy._

_What, that chip in your head? That's not change. Tha-that's just ... holding you back. You're like a serial killer in prison!_

_But I'm not ... like that. Something's happening to me. I can't stop thinking about you._

_Spike...the only chance you had with me was when I was unconscious._

_Oh... did I scare ya? You're the Slayer. Do something about it. Hit me. Come on. One good swing. You know you want to._

_It wouldn't be you, Spike. It would never be you. _

_Were you born this big a pain in the ass?_

_What can I tell you, baby? I've always been bad._

_Oh, come on, we need to talk-_

_WE don't need to do anything! Okay, there is no we! Understand?_

_You're beneath me._

Her eyes snapped open and she heard light beeping to her right. It was just a dream. Nothing else. Although...if she didn't know better...she'd think they were memories. But she didn't believe in past lives. It was ridiculous. What was heaven for if you could never go there because you kept getting reincarnated?

"Buffy?"

Her heart thumped in her chest as she heard the startled British voice and she looked to her left to see Spike getting up from an uncomfortable looking chair.

"Spike. What are you doing here? Where am I?" She lifted the scratchy blanket from her stomach and her eyes widened at the wires sticking to her stomach and chest. There was an I.V. sticking out of each of her arms, one pumping a clear fluid and the other…blood. Why were there wires stuck to her? Why would she need blood? And why in the hell was she in a hospital room? The last thing she remembered was…watching a movie in the theater with Spike. She'd forced him to the newest Johnny Depp film, him grumbling the whole way there, until the movie started and he admitted it was a good movie. They were walking home, arms around each other, laughing about an incident from high school involving Buffy 'accidentally' dumping a tray of spaghetti on Harmony Kendall's chest after her witnessing the dumb blond purposely tripping Willow in front of the whole Cafeteria, then…nothing. She couldn't remember one little detail about how she may have ended up in the hospital.

"Buffy…you're awake." She looked up at him, as he had crossed the room to stand next to her bed. He grasped her hand and closed his eyes and she had the strangest urge to snatch her hand back as a feeling of utter disgust flowed through her. Weird. "You don't know how glad I am that you're back. I am so sorry for everything I said to you and I wish I could take it all back…I just—"

"Spike, stop. _What_ are you talking about?" She cut him off, confused about his words, trying to scan her mind for an argument they might have had, but came up blank.

"What do you mean? What…" He paused and his eyes widened. "Buffy…what's the last thing you remember?" He said breathlessly.

"We went to see Blow…April 7th…and we were walking down the street…but I don't remember anything after that." She made a face, and thought about how happy that night was, but the look on Spike's face confused her. "How long have I been here, Spike?"

"You were in a car accident…you've been here for one-hundred and forty-seven days. It's October 2nd." She felt her face drop. She'd been in a coma for _six months._ Wait…147 days is only five months. She wasn't stupid. She didn't remember a month of her life before her accident.


End file.
